Mechanical grapple



Nov. l8, 1941. s. P. MCDANIELS ET AL MECHANICAL GRAPPLE Filed Feb, 14,1940 I/VVEINTORS s. P. m DA N/ELS R. R. POLL/1RD ATTORNEY Patented Nov.18, 1941 MECHANICAL GRAPPLE Shryock P. McDaniels, Maplewood, and RobertR. Pollard, East Orange, N. J., assignors to Western Electric Company,Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York ApplicationFebruary 14, 1940, Serial No. 318,824

5 Claims.

This invention relates to mechanical grapples, and more particularly tomechanical grapples for transporting heavy hollow articles.

Mechanical grapples used in transporting heavy articles must necessarilybe of a sturdy and therefore heavy structure. When such grapples requiremanual assistance in positioning them with respect to the articles theyare to transport and in operation of means to cause the engagement ofthe grapple with the articles, it has been found advantageous inreducing the effort required of an operator and increasing the'efliciency of the grapple to equip it with means for easy positioningand easy operation irrespective of the position of the operator.

An object of the invention is to provide a simple, efficient and durablemechanical grapple which is easily positioned and easily operatedirrespective of the position of the operator.

With this and other objects in view, the invention comprises amechanical grapple having articles engaging elements controlled byamember vertically reciprocable in a body, the latter having taperedguides for centering the elements with an article, a hand rail extendingtherearound for positioning the elements relative to the article, and alatch manually operable at any position adjacent the hand rail by a cordor the like extending circuitously adjacent the rail to releasably holdthe reciprocable member against movement with the elements out ofarticle engaging positions.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the followingdetailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawing, wherein Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the mechanicalgrapple in position to lift a hollow article, portions being broken awayto more clearly illustrate various structures thereof;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of that shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the structure shown inFig. 1, illustrating the article engaging elements in their out ofarticle engaging positions;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along theline 44 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along a portion of the line44 of Fig. 1 but looking upwardly therefrom, and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary detailed view of the grapple, this view beingtaken substantially along the line 6-6 of Fig. 2.

' Referring now to the drawing, a body of the mechanical grapple isindicated generally at H], consisting in general of a top or headportion and a lower or base portion joined together by vertical members.

Attention is first directed to Fig. 2, which illustrates the structureof the top portion. This structure comprises a hand rail ll circular ingeneral as well as cross sectional contour, it being formed in thepresent instance of a metal tube bent into circular formation and havingits ends joined by welding. Two cross pieces l2 spaced from each otherand extending upon each side oflthe center of the hand rail for the fullinner diameter thereof, have their respective ends secured to the railby suitable means such as welding. Two pairs of shorter pieces ormembers 13 and I4 extend from the inner wall of the hand rail, wherethey are rigidly secured by Welding to their respective cross pieces l2,in general alignment as illustrated, where they are rigidly secured bysuitable means such as welding. To reenfonce this structure anglemembers l5 and I6 are positioned between the pairs of members l3 and I4,respectively, where they are rigidly secured in place. Two guide blocks1 8 are disposed at spaced positions upon each side of the center of thehead portion between the cross pieces l2, where they are rigidly securedin place, to serve as guides for a vertically movable actuating member20. This completes the structure of the head portion of the body H).

The vertical members connecting the head portion with the base of thebody consist of pairs of angle members 22 and 23 having their upper endssecured to the members 13 and I4, respectively, adjacent the ends of therespective angle members [5 and 16. Two uprights 24 and 25, rectangularin cross section, are included among the vertical members connecting thehead of the body with the base thereof, these members having their upperends disposed between the cross pieces I2, where they are rigidlysecured in place. While still viewing Fig. 2, attention is directed to aplurality of eyelets 21, disposed in a substantially circulararrangement adjacent the rail, for a suitable latch actuating means suchas a cord 30. The term cord is intended to describe any means such as astrand, cable, rope, chain or other structure of this nature which mightbe used in the present instance for actuating lower portion of the bodyof the mechanical 55 the latch. Returning to the eyelets, it will bewhich illustrate the base structure of the body. I

In the base structure two cross members 33 and 34 extend the full widthof the base portion and lie vertically in identical planes with theirrespective cross pieces l2 of the head portion.

The cross members 33 and 34 have their ends disposed upon each side ofthe uprights 24 and 25, where they are rigidly secured, while the lowercentral portions of the cross pieces project downwardly between inwardlyextending tapered edges 26, the latter serving as guide members of thebody to center the body and also the article engaging elementshereinafter described in an aperture 36 of an apertured article 31. Inthe present instance the article 31 is a hollow reel for containingstrand material such as wire and is provided with an annular flange 33positioned therein adjacent heads 39 thereof.

Returning now to the base portion of the body, which is similar incertain details to the head portion in that it has the cross members 33and 34 similar to the cross pieces I2 but with the added structuresbetween the edges 26 which form center guides for the body, pairs ofmembers .46 extendin outwardly at right angles from each of the crossmembers 33 and 34 in vertical planes with the members I3 and I4 of thehead portion have their inner ends secured to their respective crossmembers as shown in Fig. 6, while their outer ends are positionedbetween their respective angle members 22, and laterally extending anglemembers 4|, similar to the angle members l5 and I6, where they arerigidly secured in place. Various connections of the parts of the bodyin the present instance are formed by welding but it is apparent thatthese connections may be made by other suitable means if so desired. Thelower portions of the members 40 project downwardly, providing taperedguide edges 42 (Figs. 2 and 6) which are positioned at desired angles asillustrated in Fig. 2, to cooperate with the edges 26 of the crossmembers 33 and 34 to complete the guide members of the body forcentering the.

body and the article engaging elements in an article such as the reelshown.

A guide member 45 is positioned between the cross members 33 and 34 andcooperates with a bracket 46 to provide guide means in the base of thebody for the actuating member 20. The bracket 46 projects upwardly inthe form of a yoke to receive, between the upper ends thereof, a latch41, the latter being supported by a pivot 48 carried by the bracket. Thelatch is of the contour illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3, having aprojection 49 adapted to extend into a notch 50 f the member 20 to lockthe member in the position shown in Fig. 3 by the aid of a spring thelatter having one end secured to the outer end of the latch with theother end fixed to a pinl52 carried by the cross members 33 and 34. Thecord 30 has both ends fixed to the latch, as illustrated in Fig. 1, andextends upwardly between the cross pieces I2, where it is formed into aloop extending through the eyelets 21. 1

The upper end of the actuating member 20 is provided with an aperture 54for receiving a hook 55 of any suitable means such as a hoist, to causeactuation of the member to actuate the article engaging elements 56 and51 to transport the article through the aid of the entire structure fromone position to another. The general structure of the article engagingelements will be understood by viewing Figs. 1, 3, 4 and 5. In Fig. 4 itwill be observed that each element is composed of spaced longitudinalportions, having their outer ends rigidly secured to connecting pieces58 and 59,

respectively, while their inner ends are mounted upon a pivot pin 60 intheir respective positions illustrated in this figure, namely themembers of the element 51 being disposed directly upon each side of theactuatingmember 20, while the members of the element 56 are disposedadjacent the outer edges of their respective members of the element 51.The pivot pin 60 extends through and is carried by the lower end of theactuating member 20. A stationary pin 6|, that'is; stationary withrespect to the body I0, extends through apertures in the cross members33 and 34 (Figs. 1, 3 and 5) and also through an elongate aperture 63 inthe actuating member 20. Pairs of 1inks'64 and 65 have their upper endsmounted upon the pin 6| and their lower-ends mounted on pins 66 and 61,the latter being carried-by their respective actuating elements 56 and51.

In operation let it be assumed that the various parts are in positionsillustrated in Fig. 3, which shows the actuating element latched in itslowermost position with the elements 56 and 51 in their out of articleengaging positions. For the purpose of illustration, picture the entireunit being lowered toward the reel. The hoist, of which the hook 55 is apart, is not apart of this invention other than a means to move thegrapple and cause actuation of the elements 56 and 5.1 through movementof the actuating member 20, but, to understand more clearly theimportance of certain features of the invention, a mental picture of ahoist might be helpful, Reference is made particularly to hoists whichmay be con-, trolled by one operator, enabling the operator to controlthe grapple also. To control the hoist the operator must stand near thecontrols. He is not free to move about the grapple. Therefore, due tothe limitedposition of the operator and further due to the possibilityof the grapple changing its position due to' rotary movement with thehook, one way or the other, it is important that grasping positions beprovided regardless of the position of the grapple relative to theoperator. The hand rail ll supplies'manual grasping positions around thebody so that regardless of where the operator is standing with respectto the grapple he is provided with a grasping position or portion of thehand rail, by the aid of which he may readily locate the grapple withrespect to the reel. Furthermore, the positioning of the latch actuatingmeans, namely the cord 36, circuitously adjacent the hand rail enablesthe operator to readily actuate the latch without changing his positionwith respect to the grapple or without exerting additional effort orsubjecting himself to hazards in reaching elsewhere for means to actuatethe latch. v

When the grapple is moved into general alignment with the aperture inthe reel the grapple may be lowered, at which time the elements 56 and51, which are positioned as shown in Fig. 3,- will serve to centerthemselves in the reel. It will be noted that the general positions ofvthese elements as shown in Fig. 3 provide combined wedge-like outersurfaces which will engage the inner wall of the reel as the unit ismoved downwardly, providing the unit is not accurately centered with thereel, forcing the unit toward the center of the reel. Furthermore, theguide edges 26 and 42 of the base portion of the body will complete whatthe elements 56 and 51 have started in centering the body and theelements with the reel.

When the unit has been lowered into the position shown in Fig. 3, withthe base of the body l resting upon the upper surface or head of thereel, the operator may then, without changing position, move the cord 30sufficiently to release the latch 41. By moving the actuating member 20upwardly through the aid of the moving means or the hoist of which thebook 55 is a part, the elements 56 and 51 are caused to swing outwardlyabout their pivot pin 60 through the control of the links 64 and 65, thelatter being held against upward movement with the actuating member dueto their mounting on the stationary pin 6| but free to swing outwardlyfollowing the outward movements of the elements. This movement iscontinued until the ends of the elements position surfaces which arethen horizontal in intimate engagement with the lower surface of theannular flange 38. During this upward movement the lower end of theelongate aperture 63 engages the pin 6|, lifting the body [0 upwardly.The grapple is thus connected to the article or reel and may transportthe article to any desired position and lower the article upon a surfaceupon which it is to rest. When this has been done the downward movementof the actuating member 20 may be continued to lower the body Ill uponthe reel and a continued downward movement of the actuating member willcause the links 64 and 65 to draw the elements 56 and 51 inwardly to theposition shown in Fig. 3, at which time the notch 50 in the actuatingmember will be positioned to receive the projection 49 of the latch 41,allowing the spring to move the latch into locking engagement with theactuating member. The grapple is thus in a position to be moved free ofthis article or reel and be moved to another which is to be transportedin the same manner.

The embodiment of the invention herein disclosed is merely illustrativeand may be widely modified and departed from in many ways withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention as pointed out inand limited solely by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A mechanical grapple comprising a body, a member longitudinallymovable therein, article engaging elements, means operatively connectingthe elements to the member to cause movement of the elements into andout of article engaging position by movement of the member relative tothe body, and a hand rail supplying manual grasping positions around thebody for the 'manual positioning of the elements relative to an article.

2. A mechanical grapple comprising a body, a member longitudinallymovable therein, article engaging elements, guide members on the body tocenter the elements with an article, means operatively connecting theelements to the member to cause movement of the elements into and out ofarticle engaging position by movement of the member relative to thebody, and a hand rail supplying manual grasping positions aroundthe bodyfor the manual positioning of the elements relative to an article.

3. A mechanical grapple comprising a body, a member longitudinallymovable therein, article engaging elements, means operatively connectingthe elements to the member to cause movement of the elements into andout of article engaging position by movement of the member relative tothe body, spring actuated means to automatically lock the elements intheir out of article engaging position, and means to release the lockingmeans.

4. A mechanical grapple comprising a body, a member longitudinallymovable therein, article engaging elements, means operatively connectingthe elements to the member to cause movement of the elements into andout of article engaging position by movement of the member relative tothe body, means to lock the elements in their out of article engagingposition, a hand rail supplying manual grasping positions around thebody for the manual positioning of the elements relative to an article,and means extending circuitously adjacent the hand rail to manuallyrelease the locking means.

5. A mechanical grapple comprising a body, a member longitudinallymovable therein, article engaging elements, means operatively connectingthe elements to the member to cause movement of the elements into andout of article engaging position by movement of the member relative tothe body, a latch to hold the member against movement to hold theelements in their out of article engaging position, a hand railsupplying manual grasping positions around the body for the manualpositioning of the elements relative to an article, and a latch cordextending from the latch and circuitously adjacent the hand rail tomanually release the latch.

SHRYOCK P. McDANIELS. ROBERT R. POLLARD.

